by Cathy Sharp
‘Not unless you knew where to get it,’ Micky said and grinned. ‘My old man used to bring stuff home sometimes – extra sugar and butter, meat … fell off a back of a lorry, that’s what he said …’
‘It was pinched.’ Jinny pulled a wry face. ‘Pinching stuff is wrong, Micky. I know loads of people did it then … or at least bought from the black market when they knew it had to be pinched, but things were hard then. We can buy stuff in the shops now – and wages are better too.’
‘Yeah, my old man knew they were pinched and ’e paid for it when they caught ’im,’ Micky said with a wry look. ‘And so did Ma … and us kids. Wiv ’im in prison we never ’ad a penny in the house. Thievin’ is a mug’s game. There’s other ways to make money without pinching what belongs to others …’
‘What do you do?’ Jinny asked, gazing up at him with interest. ‘I’ve always wondered.’
‘Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that,’ he said with a grin. ‘I’m not sayin’ I’m a saint, but I ain’t a thief … I deal in stuff, see – and I help a few folk out when they need it, deliverin’ and runnin’ errands …’
‘Good, I’m glad of that.’ Jinny drew a breath of relief. She liked Micky and she would have hated to think he was a petty thief. ‘You seem to earn a decent living anyway.’
Micky chuckled and nodded. ‘Yeah, I do all right. I’m goin’ ter be a rich man one day, Jinny Hollis – you just wait and see …’
He got up as the bus drew to its stop one halt before hers and sent her a wicked look as he jumped off. Jinny lifted her hand to wave goodbye, but he was already turning away, walking into a dark alley, his mind clearly elsewhere. He still hadn’t told her what he was doing to earn the money for decent clothes and the motorbike he’d told her of but never seemed to ride, but it wasn’t really her business to ask. A faint unease hung over her as she thought that he was keeping his secrets for a reason. He might not be a thief but perhaps what he was doing wasn’t quite legal …
Jinny sighed and got up as her bus slowed up just down the road from St Saviour’s. She got down and ran the last few steps towards the home, wanting to get in before the gates were locked, because otherwise she would have to ring for admittance. Some of the nurses had a key but she hadn’t been trusted with one yet …
CHAPTER 9
Rose stopped to smile as she saw Rob painting the walls in the downstairs hall. His brother Nick was with him and they were both wearing paint-spattered overalls. Rob paused as he saw her.
‘How are you today, Sister Rose?’
‘Very well, thanks, Rob,’ she said. ‘How are you getting on – nearly finished here by the looks of it?’
‘We’ve got a few doors and some skirting to paint here and then this bit is finished,’ Rob said nodding at his brother. ‘Nick just has a couple windows to fix and a few jobs in the kitchen then he’ll be off to the next job …’
‘I’ve repaired your cloakrooms and the bathroom taps and I’ve mended the leak in the roof,’ Nick said. ‘I’ve just got to fix the sink in the kitchen – but your Mrs Davies won’t let me in there until she’s finished her work so I’ve been giving Rob a hand …’
‘Mrs Davies ought to let you get on with your work. It isn’t fair to keep you hanging around …’ Rose said. Nick was a few years older than his brother and his hair was much darker, but she thought he looked more distinguished and extremely attractive, his grey eyes seeming to hold hers.
‘It’s all right. I’ve been doing a bit of rubbing down for Rob,’ Nick said. ‘I’m in no hurry because I’ll be finished here tonight and I couldn’t start a new job today. Rob is the one with the big job to finish …’
‘I’d better get on then …’ Rose started to go on by but Nick made an urgent sound in his throat and his brother grinned.
‘Nick is having a little party next Friday,’ Rob called after her and she looked back. ‘We were wondering if you and some of the other girls would like to come?’
‘It’s for Maudie,’ Nick explained, an oddly shy expression in his eyes now. ‘She’s been coming in most days to do the housework since my wife died. She’s getting married in September and I wanted to do something nice for her … but I’m not sure who to invite … I’ve got out of the habit of making friends …’
‘Nick has got a nice garden … so we’ll probably be out there most of the time …’ Rob said. ‘Say you’ll come, Rose – and perhaps some of your friends will come too?’
‘Have you asked anyone else yet?’
‘Just Nurse Wendy,’ Nick said. ‘She wasn’t sure but said she would let Rob know …’
‘Well, I’ll come,’ Rose said and smiled at them. ‘And I’ll ask some of the others, but some will be on duty.’
‘That’s great,’ Nick replied. ‘Thanks, Rose.’
Rose nodded and went on up the stairs. Wendy was getting ready to leave and picked up her jacket and bag, pausing when Rose asked if she was going to the party.
‘Are you going?’ Rose said she was and Wendy nodded, ‘I wasn’t sure we could both go, but Paula says she’ll stand in for me that evening. It would be nice to share an evening out with you, Rose.’
With just three nurses and Sister Beatrice, Rose and Wendy generally took the night shifts between them, because Paula normally preferred to work just a few hours in the mornings.
‘I think it will be a pleasant evening …’ Rose agreed.
However, she was surprised when Jinny came bouncing up to her at teatime and told her that she too had been invited and asked to bring a friend.
‘I think I’m supposed to take a boyfriend,’ Jinny said. ‘I don’t have one so I asked Nancy but she says she’ll be working … but there is someone. I’m not sure if he would want to come. We’re just casual friends.’
‘I hardly know Nick or Rob,’ Rose said. ‘I’m not romantically involved with anyone. Ask your friend and see what he says. If he says yes you’ll know he wants to see you more often.’
Jinny looked hesitant, then nodded. ‘Yes, I could or I could ask my friend Nellie …’
‘Well, I’m sure Rob and his brother won’t mind,’ Rose said, hesitated, then, ‘I thought we might go to the pictures one evening – if you’d like to, and perhaps you’d like to come to my home one Sunday for lunch?’
‘Oh yes, I should,’ Jinny said, flushed with pleasure, because it was nice to make friends and all the staff had been lovely to her. ‘I’m taking Nellie to see Elvis at the pictures this week, but I’d love to come to the flicks with you another day.’
‘We’ll arrange it,’ Rose said and moved off. It was the custom for the staff to sit with the children for meals: Rose chose to sit next to Andy and his sister Beth, because she was a little worried about the girl who had seemed pale and listless earlier. She hoped the child wasn’t coming down with a nasty illness, and suspected it was more a case of her feeling nervous. Andy was perfectly happy, but Beth hadn’t settled yet, and as Rose joined them she heard him telling his sister that he was going to play rounders with his school team the next day.
‘Mr Barton said he would give me a trial,’ he said and grinned at Rose as she joined them. ‘He’s got a great sports car and he gave me and Keith a ride in it ’cos we helped get the rackets and stuff packed for him. It goes really fast and I want to drive cars like that one day … like Stirling Moss. He’s a real good driver so Mr Barton says …’
Rose smiled encouragingly, letting Andy tell them how he wanted to work with cars and eventually drive them.
‘I asked Mr Barton about becoming a racing driver,’ he said earnestly. ‘He said if I learned to become a mechanic I could get a job with a racing team like Ferrari or Lotus, and perhaps try out for them – but first I have to learn to drive. ’Course I’m not old enough yet, but when I am I’m going to take lessons. Mr Barton says that he has a friend who teaches people to drive and he doesn’t charge much – at least, he wouldn’t charge me much, because I’m a St Saviour’s kid …’
‘Well, you need to be seve
nteen first,’ Rose said with a smile, ‘but if you work hard at school and try for an apprenticeship as a mechanic I’m sure you will manage it. Sister Beatrice might arrange that for you when you’re fifteen …’
Andy looked at her and then at his sister, who was making a choking sound. ‘What’s the matter, Beth – are you going to be sick again?’
She nodded, jumped to her feet and ran from the dining room. Rose got up immediately. Andy rose too but she told him to carry on with his tea.
‘I’ll look after her, it’s my job.’
‘She’s been sick twice but didn’t want to tell any-one …’
Rose followed Beth to the cloakroom and heard her being sick. When Rose entered, she was kneeling and retching, hanging her head over the toilet, but nothing more came up.
Rose pulled the chain, took her through to the basins and washed her face. Beth looked at her woefully and gave a little wail.
‘My tummy aches,’ she said ‘and I feel really, really bad all over …’
‘How long have you felt this way?’ Rose asked, placing a hand against her hot forehead, because Wendy had thought the girl was getting over the period of hunger and deprivation she’d endured, but now it seemed that wasn’t so. ‘Yes, you do have a temperature. We’d better put you to bed in the isolation ward. Don’t worry, you have it all to yourself and I’ll be there to look after you until Wendy comes on later …’
They left the cloakroom together just as Nick was walking towards them.
‘Feeling sick again, is she?’ he asked. ‘I saw her retching in the garden just now when I was fixing the pantry window … I asked if she was all right but she ran away.’
‘Yes, she’s poorly …’ Rose said and nodded to him, noting that Beth shrank to her side, as if she needed protection. Nick had smiled at her in a kind way so perhaps it was men in general that frightened the little girl?
Rose walked her to the ward, by which time she was truly concerned for the child who was looking very unwell.
She put her in a nightdress and tucked her up in bed, then gave her a few sips of cool water and left her to rest while she rang for the doctor. Doctor Morgan’s receptionist said he was busy delivering a baby but the new doctor, Doctor Henderson, would be along in a few minutes.
‘Thank you,’ Rose said and replaced the receiver. She went back to Beth, who was burning up and obviously had a nasty fever. The poor little child had clearly been suffering but hadn’t wanted to make a fuss. Rose suspected that Beth had learned not to ask for attention or cry at home, though Andy still wouldn’t tell them the name of their brutal step-father, because he was afraid of reprisals if he reported the way they’d been treated to the Welfare.
Filling a small bowl with cool water, Rose began to bathe the little girl’s forehead with her cloth, then down her neck and arms, hoping to reduce the temperature. She looked for a rash but could find none and was anxious because she couldn’t see any reason for the vomiting and fever.
‘Doctor will be here soon,’ she told Beth. ‘We’ll soon have you better then, Beth dear.’
Beth looked at her pitifully and clung to her hand and Rose’s heart caught. She cared for the children she nursed and this little girl had touched her heart, because she was so brave and yet so damaged and hurt. Rage boiled in her at the man who had treated both Beth and her brother so badly and she thought of what she would do to him if she ever did confront him – but of course she couldn’t stick knives into him or boil him in oil.
‘Sister Rose?’ A man’s voice made her turn with a start, because she’d been lost in her thoughts. ‘Is this the young lady with a nasty fever?’
‘Doctor Henderson? Yes, this is Beth. She has been sick more than once and she has a fever …’
‘Then we’d better have a look at her. Can you lift her nightdress, nurse? I want to examine her tummy please …’
Rose did so and saw Beth’s eyes widen in fear. She squeezed her hand reassuringly. ‘Doctor just wants to make sure you have no lumps in your tummy, Beth. He won’t hurt you, I promise.’
Beth nodded, but her hand trembled and she flinched as the doctor began to press gently round her tummy. He looked concerned, his eyes meeting Rose’s in inquiry, and she nodded slightly.
‘Your tummy is fine, Beth,’ he said very gently. ‘May I please have a look at your chest? I promise to warm my stethoscope and be gentle.’
She nodded slowly, still wary but clearly understanding that he did not intend to hurt her. He listened to her chest and then pressed her ribs slightly, frowning as he felt her wince and flinch.
‘That hurts you, doesn’t it, Beth? Did you fall – or did someone hurt you?’
Beth stared at him in silence, a tear slipping down her cheek.
‘He kicked her in the ribs after knocking her down the other week, before we ran away,’ Andy’s voice said from the doorway. ‘She hasn’t been right since but she wouldn’t tell me what was wrong … she’s afraid to tell. I said we mustn’t tell anyone about the Beast. He’s our step-father and he made Beth do all the housework, half-starved us and beat us if we disobeyed him … that’s why we ran away.’
‘Have the police been informed?’ Doctor Henderson asked and Rose shook her head.
‘Andy was afraid he might come after them if the police didn’t lock him up. He thought they might not believe his story.’
‘They will believe me, Andy,’ Doctor Henderson said, looking stern and yet managing to sound encouraging. ‘If you tell me I shall give them my report on your sister who has obviously been beaten and ill-treated – and if you’ll let me examine you I may be able to see where you’ve been beaten in the past. If I put my report in they will lock this beast up, believe me.’
Andy hesitated, then lifted his head to look into the doctor’s eyes. ‘All right, I’ll tell you, because he was hanging about outside my school the other night and I know if he sees me he’ll follow me here and then he’ll grab us.’
Doctor Henderson turned to Rose. ‘Beth has bruising on her ribs and she is also bruised inside, which is causing the nausea. These injuries do not always present themselves immediately but this must have been building up for a while. I’m going to prescribe some medicine for her and I’m going to admit her to hospital, because I think one of her ribs is damaged and may have caused an infection.’ He smiled down at Beth. ‘You’ll be quite safe in hospital, Beth. One of your carers can come with us and I’ll visit you a little later to see how long you need to stay in hospital – but don’t worry about your step-father. He’ll never hurt you again, I promise …’
‘His name is Arthur Phillips,’ Andy said suddenly. ‘Dad’s name was Harris and Mum’s name was Mary Harris until she married the Beast … He were horrible to her and made her ill and when she died he turned on us.’
‘And where did you live?’ Doctor Henderson asked, writing everything down on his pad. He nodded and made a note of the address. ‘I’m going to call an ambulance to take Beth in – is there someone who could go with her, nurse?’
‘Yes, I think Nancy will,’ Rose said and smiled at him. ‘I’ll go and ask her, she’s just next door giving the children drinks …’
‘Good.’ Doctor Henderson turned to Andy. ‘You’ve taken good care of your sister, Andy, but now I’m going to make sure she gets better – and I want to thank you for trusting me.’
‘You’re all right,’ Andy said and grinned. ‘Mr Barton told me you had to trust people a little if you want to get things done – he’s our sports master at school. I told him about the Beast today and he said it would be best to go to the police. I was thinking about it, but they might not have believed me …’
‘They will listen to me, I promise …’ Doctor Henderson turned as Rose and Nancy entered the ward together. ‘Ah – I believe you must be Nancy. Will you accompany this young lady in the ambulance please?’
‘Yes, of course,’ Nancy said and smiled. ‘I shall be pleased to go with Beth – and I’ll wait to hear what they hav
e to say.’
‘Good.’ He looked down at Beth and smiled in his gentle, yet strong way. ‘You’re not frightened now, Beth?’ She shook her head. ‘The hospital will soon find out why you’re feeling so ill and we’ll make it better.’
‘Thank you …’ Beth whispered and looked at Andy. ‘Are you coming too?’
‘I need to examine your brother first,’ Doctor Henderson told her. ‘Be a brave girl and go with Nancy and I’ll bring Andy to see you later this evening – all right?’
She nodded and Rose helped her out of bed, slipping her feet into her shoes and popping a robe on over her nightdress. She put an arm about her and sat her in a chair to wait for the ambulance men to come while Doctor Henderson took Andy to the other end of the room and asked him to remove his shirt. He examined him and was just telling him to dress when the ambulance men arrived with a stretcher to take Beth. She gave her brother a pathetic wave but then Nancy held her hand as they went out and she lay back trustingly.
‘She will be fine now, Andy,’ Doctor Henderson said. ‘I wanted her to go in by herself because I need to talk to you about her and I would rather she didn’t hear what I have to say …’
Andy nodded, looking grave. ‘You want to know if the Beast assaulted her – in a dirty way …’
‘Yes,’ Doctor Henderson said. ‘I didn’t do an internal examination because she was too upset, but if she was assaulted we shall have to do it to present the evidence. I do not want to upset her unless it is necessary …’
‘I don’t think he did that to her,’ Andy said. ‘He hit her and made her do all the work but he didn’t rape her, because she would’ve told me. Beth tells me everything – and she doesn’t know what that is …’
‘You’re sure she would’ve told you?’
‘Yes, I am.’ Andy’s voice was strong. ‘I don’t think he can … Mum told me he wasn’t like a normal man, because of an accident he’d had when he was in the war. She didn’t know why he married her but I do … he wanted the house and the money Dad left her …’
